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Food Handling General DiscussionGeneral and open discussion for food handling and safety.

Every year since I have worked for my current employer we have received a whole bone in Ozark Pride ham for Christmas and this year was no different. We wait until the Christmas rush is over then take the ham to the butcher shop where we purchase meat and they slice it into ham steaks, place them into cry-o-vac bags and we bring them back home and freeze them, using them through out the year.

This year was a little different though. Mrs. Slick took the ham yesterday and handed it to the girl behind the counter and told her we would like it cut into ham steaks which she gladly did but came back with them wrapped individually in freezer paper, Mrs. Slick failed to mention the cry-o-vac bag part to the girl behind the counter.

So my questions are....

Will they get freezer burn just wrapped in freezer paper?

If I have to re-wrap them what is the best way. Foil and re-wrap in the freezer paper, them maybe place them in freezer bags?

Now I know some of you will suggest that we buy a food saver machine and wrap them ourselves and we are giving that idea some thought but we really don't need one except when we fail to tell the butcher how we want our meat wrapped.

I think you'll find that if you buy a vac-sealer you'll use it much more than you thought you ever would.

But to simply answer you question, tightly wrapping in saran wrap and butting in a zip-loc bag will give you a safe 6 months in the freezer, maybe a month more, but wouldn't plan on it.

Vac-sealed bags have been found in the back/bottom of our freezers with dates two years old with no freezer burn or off taste. It tastes as fresh as when it was sealed. Granted I wouldn't intentionally keep food for two years but sometimes in the summer months, and during hunting season, I couldn't fit a sheet of paper in either of our freezers... LOL

Thanks IamMadMan, so should I remove them from the paper before wrapping in saran wrap?

I would remove them from the paper unless you are using them within a week. The paper although folded has small openings where moisture could escape and cause freezer burn. The tighter the wrap and then putting into a zip-loc bag with the air removed will work good for about 6 months.

I thought of this post when I went into Costco and saw the
Food Saver Vacuum Sealer Machine for $59.
I paid $100 at Target. Get your bags online, that's where the cost is.
VacuumSealersUnlimited.com.
Clean your foam gaskets w/ water.
Especially if you are losing seal.

I wonder if this is the problem with mine. It seems to get a decent vac seal when the pump is sucking out the air, but right before it seals a bit of air seems to seep back in. Still has a pretty good vaccuum on it but it doesn't end up sealing at the point of highest vaccuum.

Just a quick note from a new member...(35 yrs as a food service professional) I came here looking for advice on cryovac safety. I was sure someone would have a definitive answer for my question: how long is cryovac packed meat good for? Well, there were two schools of thought expressed; one, the "indefinite", since the date is not usually stamped on cryovac packages; the other, offered personal experience and said, "not longer than six months." Well, I took a chance. I had a "Kentucky Legend" ham, cryovac sealed, but it had a date stamped on the outside. Feb 11, 2012 was as much as I could make out. I checked the supermarket, and the dates on their packages are all "Sell by" dates. That means the meat was probably packaged in late 2011, which would make the meat over 5 years old. As I cut into the plastic, I held the ham over the trash can as a precaution, expecting the stench of spoilage. As the juices started to flow out of the package, I put my finger in and tasted it. "Mmm, that tasted good" I thought, as I moved from the trash can to the kitchen sink. Five years that ham had been refrigerated, not frozen. And it baked up delicious. So, if I might weigh in on the cryovac discussion, I would go with the "indefinite". I shared that ham with some friends who complimented me on its yummy flavor. Oh, I did have a back-up plan...I had a chicken ready to roast if the ham hadn't been usable. Now, I can have chicken tomorrow. Thank you all for your input.

Just a quick note from a new member...(35 yrs as a food service professional) I came here looking for advice on cryovac safety. I was sure someone would have a definitive answer for my question: how long is cryovac packed meat good for? Well, there were two schools of thought expressed; one, the "indefinite", since the date is not usually stamped on cryovac packages; the other, offered personal experience and said, "not longer than six months." Well, I took a chance. I had a "Kentucky Legend" ham, cryovac sealed, but it had a date stamped on the outside. Feb 11, 2012 was as much as I could make out. I checked the supermarket, and the dates on their packages are all "Sell by" dates. That means the meat was probably packaged in late 2011, which would make the meat over 5 years old. As I cut into the plastic, I held the ham over the trash can as a precaution, expecting the stench of spoilage. As the juices started to flow out of the package, I put my finger in and tasted it. "Mmm, that tasted good" I thought, as I moved from the trash can to the kitchen sink. Five years that ham had been refrigerated, not frozen. And it baked up delicious. So, if I might weigh in on the cryovac discussion, I would go with the "indefinite". I shared that ham with some friends who complimented me on its yummy flavor. Oh, I did have a back-up plan...I had a chicken ready to roast if the ham hadn't been usable. Now, I can have chicken tomorrow. Thank you all for your input.